Former Richmond Braves infielder Mike Hessman drew national publicity recently by becoming the all-time, home run king for minor league baseball.

Hessman’s long-ball heroics stir memories of another former Richmond Braves’ slugger, the late Jack Pierce, who became a record-setter south of the border.

Pierce played much of his career in Mexico, where he set the Mexican League single-season, home run mark of 54 in 1986 while with the Leon Braves.

His 54 bombs shattered the old standard of 46 set by Hector Espino in 1964.

The Mexican League is considered somewhere between the talent level of AAA and AA in the United States, but it is not affiliated with America’s Major Leagues.

Now 37 and in his 19th pro season, Hessman, a right-hander, played parts of the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons in Richmond, launching a team high 26 homers in 2002, 16 in 2003 and 19 in 2004.

He now plays for Toledo, the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Hessman is also the all-time, homer leader for Toledo and the International League.

Hessman’s 433rd home run Aug. 3 against Lehigh Valley enabled him to pass Buzz Arlett (active 1918 to1937) as all-time, minor league home run champion.

A left-handed first baseman, Pierce led the Richmond Braves in 1973 with 14 homers and 68 runs batted.

He was known for his “light tower power” at old Parker Field, a notoriously difficult park for left-handed power hitters.

During the 1970s, it was 368 feet down the right-field line (with a 12-foot high fence), compared to 325 to dead left.

Pierce went on to sock 294 home runs in the Mexican League with a variety of teams. Pierce is credited with 101 home runs in the U.S. minor leagues.

The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder from Laurel, Miss., walloped eight big league homers with the Detroit Tigers in 1975 and added 23 with Nankai in the Japanese League in 1977.

Pierce was serving as a coach for Monterrey of the Mexican League when he died in 2012 at age 64.